Data line drive circuit and method for driving data lines - A data line drive circuit includes a plurality of output circuits and a plurality of switch portions. The plurality of output circuits outputs voltages corresponding to grayscale voltages with respect to display data. The plurality of switch portions becomes an ON-state in response to a line output signal and connects the plurality of output circuits and a plurality of data lines, respectively. ON-resistance values of at least part of the plurality of switch portions vary in the ON-state.

2009-01-01

20090002407

Inkjet Printing - A carrier for an array comprising a plurality of print heads, comprises an elongate bar having an ink conduit extending through the bar in a longitudinal direction. The carrier also comprises a print head receiving area adapted to receive or mount the plurality of print heads, and a heat transfer fluid conduit extending through the bar in a longitudinal direction. The carrier is arranged so that each print head received or mounted in the print head receiving area is in fluid communication with the ink conduit, wherein the heat transfer fluid conduit is disposed adjacent both the ink conduit and the print head receiving area. The carrier may comprise two ink conduits and two heat transfer fluid conduits. Heat transfer fluid may in use be conducted along the first and second heat transfer conduits in opposite directions.

2009-01-01

20090002408

LIQUID DISCHARGING APPARATUS, LIQUID DISCHARGING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - A liquid discharging apparatus includes a head that is driven in response to a driving signal to discharge liquid, a controller that drives the head by generating the driving signal, an adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the liquid, and a supply path that supplies the head with the liquid having the temperature adjusted by the adjustment unit. The controller alters the driving signal in accordance with a flow amount of the liquid, which flows in the supply path.

2009-01-01

20090002409

Inkjet printer and method for correcting the printing thereof - A method for correcting the printing of an inkjet printer includes the steps stated below. A first boundary and a second boundary of a printing region for the inkjet printer are set. Then, a first ink offset at the first boundary and a second ink offset at the second boundary are obtained. Next, a maximum compensative time of the inkjet printer when printing is determined according to the difference between the first ink offset and the second ink offset and a printing speed of the inkjet printer. Then, a compensative time of the inkjet printer when printing at an arbitrary location of the printing region is determined according to the first boundary, the second boundary and the maximum compensative time.

METHOD AND APPARATUS TO MAINTAIN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A method and apparatus to maintain an image forming apparatus. The method includes: detecting an actual separation distance from an initial position of a platen, which moves during maintenance operations, to the maximum separation position of the platen; and compensating distance information to move the platen using the detected actual separation distance and a set separation distance. Therefore, the position on a moving path of the platen, which moves to perform the maintenance operations to maintain a performance of an array inkjet head included in the image forming apparatus, can be compensated, and thus, an optimal maintenance can be performed.

2009-01-01

20090002412

FLUID EJECTING APPARATUS AND FLUID EJECTION CONTROL METHOD USED BY FLUID EJECTING APPARATUS - The invention provides a fluid ejecting apparatus that includes: an apparatus body; and a plurality of fluid ejecting heads that can eject fluid onto a fluid ejection target medium. In the configuration of the fluid ejecting apparatus according to an aspect of the invention, at least one of the plurality of fluid ejecting heads can move in a predetermined direction that intersects the transport direction of the fluid ejection target medium so as to change the relative positions of the plurality of fluid ejecting heads as viewed in the predetermined direction that intersects the transport direction of the fluid ejection target medium.

2009-01-01

20090002413

INKJET IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND SPITTING METHOD THEREFOR - An inkjet image forming apparatus and a spitting method therefor. The inkjet image forming apparatus includes: a printhead including a plurality of nozzles arranged across a printing medium transfer path; a maintenance unit including a spitting groove to receive ink ejected during a spitting operation of the printhead; and a controlling unit to control the printhead so that spitting is performed by groups of the nozzles, when each group faces the spitting groove.

2009-01-01

20090002414

INKJET PRINTING APPARATUS AND PRINTING METHOD - There is provided an inkjet printing apparatus which prints using a printhead for discharging ink by a plurality of scanning operations of the printhead including forward scanning and reverse scanning in a single area of a print medium. In the inkjet printing apparatus, the ink discharge amount is acquired for each unit area obtained by dividing the end area of the single area in the scanning direction. The acquired ink discharge amount of each unit area is compared with a predetermined threshold. The printing ratios of the plurality of scanning operations are controlled to set the printing ratio of the final scanning operation lower than the average one of the remaining scanning operations in a unit area where the ink discharge amount is larger than the predetermined threshold.

2009-01-01

20090002415

RECORDING APPARATUS - A recording apparatus includes: a recording head having a recording element row in which multiple recording elements are disposed, with recording elements at dispersed positions in the recording element rows as blocks; a scanning unit configured to scan the recording head in a main scanning direction; a time-division driving unit configured to drive the recording elements in increments of blocks; a storing unit configured to store recording data; an obtaining unit configured to obtain information relating to the inclination of the recording element row relative to the main scanning direction; and a changing unit operable to change, in increments of individual recording elements, the storage position in the main scanning direction of recording data stored in the storing unit that is to be provided to recording elements of a group, which is configured of consecutive recording elements in each block in the recording element row, based on the obtained information.

2009-01-01

20090002416

Fluid Ejection Device - A fluid ejection device comprising firing cells including a first group of firing cells and a second group of firing cells and control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to respond to the control signal to selectively initiate a first sequence adapted to enable the first group of firing cells for activation and a second sequence adapted to enable the second group of firing cells for activation.

2009-01-01

20090002417

INKJET PRINTING APPARATUS AND PRINTING METHOD THEREFOR - The printing elements of each printing element array are divided into blocks. A block to be driven and a block not to be driven are determined for each scanning of a printhead. The printhead is driven to print by complementing blocks to be driven by each scanning in a plurality of scanning operations. In each scanning, the printhead prints while making a printing area corresponding to at least one ink different from a printing area corresponding to another ink.

2009-01-01

20090002418

PRINTER FORMED FROM COMPLEMENTARILY FITTING PARTS - A printer includes a printhead cartridge, in turn, having a printhead and ink supply for supplying ink to the printhead. The printhead includes a series of ink ejection integrated circuits (ICs) that are complementarily engaged together. Each IC includes spaced apart groups of nozzles configured to eject respective types of ink. The nozzles in each group are arranged to form staggered rows. A cradle unit complementarily engages with the printhead cartridge and has a media transport mechanism for transporting print media past the printhead. A media supply cartridge is configured to supply the media to the cradle unit.

2009-01-01

20090002419

PRINTER HAVING SELF-REFERENCING PRINTHEAD - An inkjet printer having a body configured to receive a printhead assembly of at least one printhead integrated circuit having ink ejection nozzles and an ink distribution support mounting the integrated circuit(s) to distribute ink to the nozzles, and a plurality of mounting features on the body configured to cooperate with corresponding complementary reference features of the ink distribution support upon mounting of the printhead assembly to the printer, where the cooperation provides information on the location of the nozzles. The printhead assembly is incorporated in a printing cartridge and the body of the printer has a cartridge receiving slot. The mounting features include a mesa feature and protrusions arranged in the slot The reference features include a slot in the ink distribution support which cooperates with the mesa feature and a flat surface of a plurality of corners of the ink distribution support which cooperates with the protrusions.

2009-01-01

20090002420

PRINTING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - An object of this invention is to properly prevent clogging of each nozzle in order to stably discharge ink without increasing a circuit scale even when the number of nozzles increases. For this purpose, the number of ink discharges from each printing element is stored in a memory. The number of ink discharges from each printing element that is measured from input printing data is subtracted from that stored in the memory, and the subtraction result is rewritten into the memory. The subtraction result is checked in a predetermined period, and if the number of ink discharges from each printing element is equal to or larger than a predetermined count, preliminary discharge to be performed periodically is suppressed.

2009-01-01

20090002421

INKJET PRINTHEAD COMPRISING BONDED HEATER ELEMENT AND DIELECTRIC LAYER WITH LOW THERMAL PRODUCT - A thermal inkjet printhead with generally planar heater elements disposed in respective bubble forming chambers such that they are bonded on one side to the chamber so that the other side faces into the chamber. Each heater element receives an energizing pulse to heat ejectable liquid above its boiling point to form a gas bubble on the side facing into the chamber, whereby the gas bubble causes the ejection of a drop of the ejectable liquid from the nozzle. The chamber has a dielectric layer proximate the side of the heater element bonded to the chamber. The dielectric layer has a thermal product less than 1495 Jm

2009-01-01

20090002422

STRUCTURE FOR MONOLITHIC THERMAL INKJET ARRAY - A printhead includes a plurality of nozzle arrays disposed on a substrate. Each nozzle array is positioned on the substrate to eject droplets of a liquid spaced apart from each other on a receiver. Each nozzle array is positioned relative to other nozzle arrays such that liquid ejected from the plurality of nozzle arrays is sufficient to cover a surface of the receiver in a single relative motion of the printhead and the receiver.

2009-01-01

20090002423

METHOD OF MODULATING PEAK POWER REQUIREMENT OF MODULAR PRINTHEAD - A method of modulating a peak power requirement of a modular printhead is provided. Each module of the printhead has respective segments of each of a plurality of rows of inkjet nozzles so that each nozzle row is comprised in a respective color channel. In the method each of the modules fires a respective segment within a predetermined segment-time such that at least one of the fired segments is contained in a different color channel from at least one of the other fired segments.

2009-01-01

20090002424

INK JET PRINTING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A method for controlling a printing position for a printing apparatus for using a plurality of printing heads to print an image is provided. This method prevents, even when a conveyed print medium has deformation such as deflection, a printing position of a print medium from being dislocated. To realize this, components

2009-01-01

20090002425

INK JET PRINT HEAD AND METHOD OF DETECTING MISSING NOZZLE - An apparatus and method of detecting a missing nozzle in an ink jet print head can detect a missing nozzle with a simple process when the missing nozzle is generated. The method of detecting the missing nozzle used in the ink jet print head provided with plural chambers in which an ink is filled, plural heaters to heat the ink in the chambers, and plural nozzles corresponding to the heaters, includes detecting a temperature of each of the heaters, and when the detected temperature deviates from a predetermined temperature range, determining that the nozzle corresponding to the heater is the missing nozzle.

2009-01-01

20090002426

INKJET IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An inkjet image forming apparatus sets an initial ink temperature according to a dot area of a dot-sized pattern printed by the printer head, and calculates an ink temperature by applying the initial ink temperature to a temperature conversion equation. The inkjet image forming apparatus prevents a measurement error of the temperature sensor from valid data after the printing process is terminated, so that it can correctly measure the ink temperature of the printer head.

2009-01-01

20090002427

METHOD OF DETECTING MISSING NOZZLE AND INK JET PRINT HEAD USING THE SAME - A method of detecting a missing nozzle and an ink jet print head using the same, that can detect a missing nozzle immediately with a simple process when the missing nozzle is generated. The method of detecting a missing nozzle used in an ink jet print head provided with plural chambers in which an ink is filled, plural heaters corresponding to the chambers, and plural nozzles corresponding to the heaters, can include detecting a temperature of each of the nozzles, and when the detected temperature deviates from a predetermined temperature range, determining that the nozzle is a missing nozzle.

2009-01-01

20090002428

METHOD OF DETECTING MISSING NOZZLE AND INK JET PRINT HEAD USING THE SAME - A method of detecting a missing nozzle and an ink jet print head using the same can detect a missing nozzle immediately with a simple process when the missing nozzle is generated. One method of detecting a missing nozzle used in an ink jet print head provided with plural chambers, plural heaters corresponding to the chambers, and plural nozzles corresponding to the heaters can include detecting a temperature of each of the chambers, and when the detected temperature deviates from a predetermined temperature range, determining that a nozzle corresponding to the chamber is a missing nozzle.

2009-01-01

20090002429

PRINTER CALIBRATION - A printer and method of calibrating such a printer is presented. The method comprises: printing a reference pattern on print media; depositing ink over the printed reference pattern; printing a test pattern over the deposited ink to form an interference pattern; and determining an ink density value that results in an acceptable deformation of the printing media based on an optical evaluation of the interference pattern.

2009-01-01

20090002430

Measurement Field for Determining the Smearing Limit During Printing - A measurement field allows determining the smearing limit during printing, in particular during lithographic wet offset printing. The measurement field is arranged on a printing form, in particular a printing plate, which has printing, ink-carrying regions and nonprinting, dampening solution-carrying regions on its surface. A dampening solution-carrying property in the region of the measurement field is reduced by a nanoscopic coating (e.g., with amphiphilic molecules) or an unscreened, microscopic coating (e.g., a polymer coating) in comparison with the dampening solution-carrying property in the nonprinting regions of the surface of the printing form. The nanoscopic coating or the microscopic coating advantageously leads to a shifting of the smearing limit, that is to say to a displacement of the starting point of scumming, by the dampening solution requirement which is increased for scum-free printing within the region of the measurement field. Such a measurement field is thus advantageously used for the closed-loop control of a dampening solution supply.

2009-01-01

20090002431

INSTALLING FLUID CONTAINER IN FLUID EJECTION DEVICE - A fluid ejection device ejecting a fluid, the fluid ejection device includes: a fluid ejection unit; a fluid container; a delivery needle; and a guard cover. The fluid ejection unit ejects a fluid onto an ejection target. The fluid container includes a container portion and a withdrawal portion. The container portion contains a fluid for ejection, and the withdrawal portion allows withdrawal of the fluid contained in the container portion. The delivery needle sticks through the withdrawal portion to provide a flow passage which communicates with the fluid ejection unit. The guard cover projects over the delivery needle to prevent the withdrawal portion from approaching the delivery needle from a direction intersecting a center axis of the delivery needle.

2009-01-01

20090002432

AIR SUPPLY ARRANGEMENT FOR A PRINT ENGINE - Provided is an air supply arrangement for a print engine having a pagewidth printhead and a driving assembly for feeding print media past the printhead. The print engine has a chassis molding for receiving the air supply arrangement. The air supply arrangement includes a receptacle cover molding defining an air supply channel leading to the printhead when said cover molding is operatively received by the chassis molding, the cover molding further defining air inlet and outlet openings. The air supply arrangement also includes an air pump attached to the cover molding and arranged to pump air from the air inlet opening to the air outlet opening, said outlet opening arranged in fluid communication with the air supply channel. Also included is an air filter assembly operatively fitted to the receptacle cover so that air is able to be pumped through the filter to the air inlet opening to facilitate cleaning of the printhead.

2009-01-01

20090002433

LIQUID DROPLET JETTING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF EXCHANGING MAIN TANK - A main tank has a storage space which stores a liquid. A sub tank has a predetermined interior space and an atmosphere communicating hole which makes the interior space communicate with an atmosphere, formed therein, and has an opening and closing valve which opens and closes the atmosphere communicating hole. When the main tank is not mounted on a main tank installing portion, the opening and closing valve closes the atmosphere communicating hole. When the main tank is mounted on the main tank installing portion, a discharge operation of discharging the liquid from the nozzles of the head with the atmosphere communicating hole closed by the opening and closing valve is carried out. Thereafter, the opening and closing valve opens the atmosphere communicating hole. Accordingly, the liquid is prevented from being leaked out from the sub tank when the main tank is removed.

2009-01-01

20090002434

PRINTHEAD ASSEMBLY WITH A WICKING ELEMENT - Provided is a printhead assembly having a support structure with a printhead mounted on the support structure, said printhead having an ink ejection face, and a print media guide proximate the support structure for guiding print media past the printhead for printing. The assembly also includes a wicking element mounted on the support structure between the support structure and the print media guide. An ink collector is arranged on the wicking element for receiving ink that has wicked through the wicking element to ensure that wicked ink is removed away from the printhead.

2009-01-01

20090002435

NOZZLE CHIP CLEANING APPARATUS OF INKJET PRINTER AND INKJET PRINTER WITH THE SAME - A nozzle chip cleaning apparatus of an inkjet printer with an improved supply/return structure for a cleaning solution for cleaning a nozzle chip includes a flexible bag to hold fluid and to contact a nozzle chip of an inkjet head. A lifting apparatus may move the flexible bag to be in contact with a surface of the nozzle chip. The nozzle chip cleaning apparatus employs a method in which a flexible bag wipes a surface of a nozzle chip cleaning solution.

2009-01-01

20090002436

PRINTHEAD ASSEMBLY WITH A WICKING ELEMENT - A printhead maintenance station includes a housing operatively positioned with respect to an ink ejection face to be maintained. The housing defines a pair of slots. A support arm has lugs at each end that are slidably received in respective slots. A support is mounted on the support arm. A pad is mounted on the support and is suitable for wiping ink. A motor is operatively mounted with respect to the housing. A pair of cams is rotatable by the motor and engaged with respective lugs such that the motor can slide the arms with respect to the housing, thereby moving the pad between a first operative position and a second, inoperative position.

2009-01-01

20090002437

PRINTHEAD ASSEMBLY WITH A PRINT MEDIA GUIDE AND A WICKING ELEMENT - Provided is a printhead assembly that includes a printhead mounted on a support structure, said printhead having an ink ejection face, and a print media guide mounted on the support structure for guiding print media past the printhead for printing. The assembly also includes a wicking element mounted on the support structure between the support structure and the print media guide, as well as a pad with an angled contact surface to operatively facilitate the transferral of ink from the printhead to the wicking element. The wicking element is formed from an absorbent material and is positioned in a cavity defined between the print media guide and the support structure.

2009-01-01

20090002438

Separator - A separator for separating ink from a flow of gas and ink, the separator comprising a container containing a plurality of material bodies, the container having: an inlet for flowing a mixture of gas and ink into the container so that the gas and ink passes through interstices between at least some of the plurality of material bodies thereby separating ink from the mixture of gas and ink; and a gas outlet for removing gas from the container after ink has been separated from the mixture of gas and ink.

2009-01-01

20090002439

RECORDING APPARATUS - A recording apparatus scans a recording head in a main scanning direction to perform time-division driving for a plurality of blocks of recording elements to perform recording. The recording apparatus includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain information regarding inclination of the recording element array with respect to a main scanning direction, a first changing unit configured to change, in units of recording elements, based on the obtained information, storage positions of recording data items that are stored in a storage unit and that are assigned to recording elements in each of groups, each of the groups including recording elements belonging to the blocks in the recording element array which are consecutive, and a second changing unit configured to change, in units of groups, based on the obtained information, the storage positions of the recording data items in the main scanning direction.

2009-01-01

20090002440

Inkjet Printer With Droplet Stem Anchor - An inkjet printer that has an array of ink chambers, each with a nozzle, a droplet stem anchor and a thermal actuator. The thermal actuator generates a vapour bubble in the ink chamber to eject ink through the nozzle. The thermal actuator has a plurality of heater elements connected in parallel with a cross bracing structure extending between the heater elements. The cross bracing structure also providing the droplet stem anchor. During use, the vapour bubble generated by the thermal actuator grows until it vents to atmosphere through the nozzle and the ink ejected from the nozzle is attached to the droplet stem anchor by an ink stem until the stem breaks and the ejected ink forms a separate drop.

2009-01-01

20090002441

INK-JET HEAD AND HEAD UNIT - An ink-jet head includes a nozzle array including plural nozzles. The nozzle array has a first nozzle group arranged in the center thereof and second nozzle groups arranged further on outer sides than the first nozzle group. Inter-nozzle pitches of the second nozzle groups are larger than inter-nozzle pitches of the first nozzle group. A direction in which nozzles of the second nozzle group eject an ink and a direction in which nozzles of the first nozzle group eject the ink are different.

2009-01-01

20090002442

ARRAY INKJET HEAD AND INKJET IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - An array inkjet head and an inkjet image forming apparatus having the array inkjet head. The array inkjet head is formed by sequentially combining a first member, a second member, a third member on an upper surface of which a plurality of base modules are mounted, and a cover member that covers the third member, and the cover member comprises a plurality of opening holes formed along the lengthwise direction of the cover member to expose the head chips and a plurality of concave units formed on both sides of each of the opening holes and to have a predetermined gaps between edge units of the base modules to be coated with an adhesive.

2009-01-01

20090002443

PRINTER ASSEMBLY WITH A DIMENSIONALLY STABLE SUPPORT FRAME - A printer assembly for a pagewidth printer includes a support frame having a fluid channel member and a clipping arrangement configured so that a printed circuit board can be clipped to the support frame. A printhead arrangement has printhead tiles arranged in the fluid channel member. The support frame is configured so that a positional relationship between individual tile members is substantially retained during environmental changes.

2009-01-01

20090002444

Liquid drop ejection head - A liquid drop ejecting head includes a cavity section which is formed by laminating a plurality of plates including at least first and second manifold plates adjacent to each other in a laminating direction. Each of the first and second manifold plates includes an opening. The openings overlap with each other when viewed in the laminating direction. At least one of the openings includes: a first opening which extends in the first direction and serves as a common liquid chamber; a second opening which is adjacent to the first opening and serves as a supply path; and a partitioning portion disposed between the first opening and the second opening.

2009-01-01

20090002445

INKJET RECORDING HEAD - An inkjet recording head includes a recording-element substrate having arranged therein multiple sets of nozzles that discharge ink, energy-generating elements that generate energy used for discharging the ink, and supply ports that supply the ink to the nozzles; and a sealant disposed around the recording-element substrate. The supply ports include a first supply port disposed near a first edge of the recording-element substrate and a second supply port disposed near a second edge of the recording-element substrate, the second edge being opposite to the first edge as viewed in the arrangement direction of the multiple sets. As viewed in the arrangement direction, a distance between the second edge and the second supply port is shorter than a distance between the first edge and the first supply port, and a volume of the sealant near the second edge is smaller than a volume of the sealant near the first edge.

2009-01-01

20090002446

ACOUSTIC FLUID FLOW DEVICE FOR PRINTING SYSTEM - A printing system includes a liquid drop ejector, a fluid passage, and a fluid flow source. The liquid drop ejector is operable to form liquid drops having a plurality of volumes moving along a first path. The fluid passage includes a wall. A source of acoustic energy is associated with the wall. A fluid flow source is associated with the passage and is configured to provide a fluid flow through the passage. Interaction of the fluid flow and the liquid drops causes liquids drops having one of the plurality of volumes to begin moving along a second path.

2009-01-01

20090002447

LIQUID EJECTING HEAD AND INK JET PRINTING APPARATUS - The present invention provides a liquid ejecting head which inhibits the possible generation of satellites and possible inappropriate ejection during liquid ejection, enabling printing with improved image quality and reliability. Thus, ejection openings in the liquid ejecting head each selectively have projections or a circular shape depending on the characteristics of a liquid to be ejected.

2009-01-01

20090002448

FLUID DISCHARGING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE FLUID DISCHARGING APPARATUS - A fluid discharging apparatus including a head, a medium support portion, a contact member, and an actuator portion. The head includes a plurality of nozzles through which a fluid is discharged onto a target medium. The medium support portion supports the medium. The contact member is provided within the medium support portion. The actuator portion moves at least one of the head and the medium support portion so that the plurality of nozzles are located close to or far from the contact member. During a standby state when fluid is not discharged onto the medium, the contact member is brought into contact with the head in order to seal the plurality of nozzles, and in a discharging state, the head is located away from the contact member in order to provide a space through which the medium is allowed to pass between the plurality of nozzles and the contact member.

2009-01-01

20090002449

Liquid-Ejection Integrated Circuit Device Having Nozzle Shield - A liquid-ejection integrated circuit device is provided which has a substrate having a plurality of liquid inlet channels, a plurality of liquid ejection nozzles on the substrate and a nozzle shield. Each nozzle has a liquid ejection port in communication with a respective inlet channel operable to eject liquid when displaced. The nozzle shield has a plurality of apertures in alignment with respective liquid ejection ports and struts connecting the shield to the substrate so that the nozzle shield is spaced from the nozzles.

2009-01-01

20090002450

Nozzle Arrangement With Rectilinear Ink Ejection - Provided is a nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printer. The arrangement includes a wafer substrate with a layer of drive circuitry, said substrate defining an ink supply channel through the substrate leading to an ink chamber with a roof defining an ink ejection port. The arrangement also includes an ink ejection arrangement for ejecting ink from the ink chamber via the port, said ink ejection arrangement having four symmetrically arranged thermal bend actuators each connected to a respective side to ensure that the roof is operatively displaced in a rectilinear manner during ink ejection.

2009-01-01

20090002451

PRINTER CRADLE FOR VARIOUS PRINT SPEED PRINTHEADS - A printer cradle is provided which has a body for removably receiving each of a range of inkjet printheads and a controller for determining a print speed of an inserted printhead. The printheads within the range are able to operate at print speeds different than one another. Each printhead has printhead contacts for receiving data and power for operating the printhead. The body has complementary contacts for establishing electrical connection with the printhead contacts of each printhead upon insertion thereof into the body. The controller has a plurality of separate integrated circuits. Each integrated circuit has a memory buffer for print data and the controller is configured to determine how many of the integrated circuits are needed to operate the inserted printhead at the determined print speed.

2009-01-01

20090002452

Printer Having A Printhead Assembly With Module Alignment Fiducials - Provided is a printer having a printhead assembly which includes an elongate support beam. The support beam includes a silicon core, an intermediate elastomeric layer mounted to the core and an outer support structure mounted to the elastomeric layer, as well as a plurality of printhead modules mounted to the support beam. The printhead modules and support beam are configured so that the printhead modules are misaligned when the printhead assembly is at a room temperature and move into alignment when the printhead assembly heats up to an operating temperature of the printhead. The printhead assembly also includes a number of fiducials located on the respective printhead modules to allow visual verification of such alignment.

2009-01-01

20090002453

INK JET HEAD AND PRODUCTION PROCESS THEREOF - An ink jet head is constituted by a recording element substrate comprising an energy generating element; and an electric wiring member on which a plurality of flying leads electrically connected to said recording element substrate by thermocompression bonding through gang bonding is arranged in parallel. The ink jet head further includes a plurality of thermocompression bonding portions, formed on the plurality of flying leads by the thermocompression bonding, including thermocompression bonding portions formed on at least both end flying leads with respect to an arrangement direction of the plurality of flying leads. The thermocompression bonding portions formed on the above-described at least both end flying leads are offset toward a center of the plurality of flying leads with respect to the arrangement direction.

HEAD CHIP USABLE WITH INKJET IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THE SAME - A head chip for an inkjet image forming apparatus. The head chip can include a heater formed on a substrate to generate heat, a chamber layer formed on the heater and provided with an ink chamber that receives inks, a nozzle layer formed on the chamber layer and provided with a nozzle in correspondence with the ink chamber, and a heat transfer layer transferring a part of the heat from the heater to the nozzle. According to the head chip, the inks sprayed through the nozzle are heated by the heat transferred through the heat transfer layer. Thus, the viscosity of the inks is reduced, so that the inks can be easily cut into ink droplets having a substantially spherical shape.

2009-01-01

20090002456

Inkjet Printhead Having High Areal Inkjet Nozzle Density - An inkjet printhead is provided having a nozzle areal density of at least 40000 inkjet nozzles per square centimetre on a printing surface. Each nozzle has an ink chamber on the printing surface having an ink ejection port, and a heater for heating the ink in the chamber to cause ink ejection from the ink ejection port.

2009-01-01

20090002457

PRINTHEAD SUBSTRATE, INKJET PRINTHEAD, AND INKJET PRINTING APPARATUS - A detector circuit for detecting a malfunction of a circuit due to a low third power supply voltage that has the same amplitude and potential as an input signal is provided. Based on an output signal of the detector circuit, whether an output of a second power supply voltage generation circuit for activating a heater driving circuit is allowed or not is determined. When the third power supply voltage is low and the heater driving circuit operates improperly, no power supply voltage is supplied from the second power supply voltage generation circuit. Since no power supply voltage is supplied to the heater driving circuit, the heater driving circuit does not drive a corresponding heater.

2009-01-01

20090002458

INK JET PRINT HEAD SUBSTRATE AND INK JET PRINT HEAD - An ink jet print head substrate is provided which can prevent voltage drop variations during driving, no matter in what way the ejection energy generation elements are driven, and which can also apply a stable energy to the ejection energy generation elements at all times. The ink jet print head substrate of this invention has a plurality of kinds of ejection energy generation elements to generate different magnitudes of ink ejection energy and wiring portions. The print head substrate also has a plurality of wiring layers arranged to at least partly overlap one another. The wiring portions connected to the different kinds of ejection energy generation elements are provided at least partly in different wiring portions.

2009-01-01

20090002459

Printhead With Low Viscous Drag Droplet Ejection - A inkjet printhead with heater elements adjacent an array of respective nozzles for heating a water-based printing fluid to form a gas bubble for ejecting a drop of the printing fluid from the nozzle. The heater is separated from the nozzle by less than 5 μm at their closest points and the nozzle length is less than 5 μm. The volume of liquid between the heater and the nozzle determines the inertia of the liquid and its acceleration in response to bubble formation. Moving the heater closer to the nozzle reduces the inertia of the liquid and increases its acceleration, so a lower bubble impulse is needed to eject a drop. This allows the printhead to use smaller heater elements with lower power requirements. Viscous drag in the nozzle reduces the momentum of fluid flowing through the nozzle. The viscous drag increases as the nozzle length (in the direction of fluid flow) increases. By reducing the nozzle length, a lower bubble impulse is needed to eject a drop. This also allows the printhead to use smaller heater elements with lower power requirements.

2009-01-01

20090002460

LIQUID DISCHARGING HEAD AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE LIQUID DISCHARGING HEAD - A liquid discharging head includes a piezoelectric actuator configured to displace a vibration plate to cause a nozzle to discharge a liquid drop from a liquid chamber. The piezoelectric actuator includes at least three piezoelectric elements aligned in a line. Each of the at least three piezoelectric elements includes a plurality of piezoelectric element columns and a groove. The plurality of piezoelectric element columns is aligned in a direction in which the at least three piezoelectric elements are aligned. The groove is provided between adjacent piezoelectric element columns. At least one of the at least three piezoelectric elements has a pitch between adjacent piezoelectric element columns that is different from a pitch between adjacent piezoelectric element columns of at least one other piezoelectric element of the at least three piezoelectric elements.

2009-01-01

20090002461

DISCHARGE HEAD AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING DISCHARGE HEAD - A discharge head includes a discharge driving element; an individual electrode formed on the discharge driving element and having a connecting section; and a wired board having a terminal which is joined to the individual electrode by a conductive brazing material. The connecting section is provided to face the terminal, and a metal, which is hardly sulfurized, is exposed in a facing area, of a surface of the connecting section, facing the terminal. A silver sulfide coating is formed on a surface of the connecting section except for a portion facing the terminal. The silver sulfide coating has a low affinity for the conductive brazing material, which is hardly wetted thereby. Therefore, even when the conductive brazing material leaks, then the conductive brazing material is not retained on the silver sulfide coating, and no influence is exerted on the driving operation of the discharge head.

2009-01-01

20090002462

ACTUATOR UNIT AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF, AND LIQUID EJECTION HEAD - An actuator unit for applying pressure to liquid in each of pressure chambers formed in a passage unit includes a piezoelectric layer; a common electrode formed on one surface of the piezoelectric layer to be positioned over the pressure chambers; and electric field blocking layers formed on an opposite surface of the piezoelectric layer from the one surface to be opposed to the common electrode and outside regions of the respective pressure chambers. Each electric field blocking layer is porous and lower in dielectric constant than the piezoelectric layer. The actuator unit further includes lands each positioned to sandwich an electric field blocking layer between the land and the piezoelectric layer; and individual electrodes formed on the opposite surface to be opposed to the respective pressure chambers and the common electrode and neighbor the respective electric field blocking layers. Each individual electrode is electrically connected to the corresponding land.

2009-01-01

20090002463

PERFORATED FLUID FLOW DEVICE FOR PRINTING SYSTEM - A printing system includes a liquid drop ejector operable to eject liquid drops having a plurality of volumes along a first path. A fluid passage includes a wall with the wall including a perforated portion. A fluid flow source is operable to cause the fluid to flow through the passage along the perforated portion of the wall. Interaction of the fluid flow and the liquid drops causes liquids drops having one of the plurality of volumes to begin moving along a second path.

2009-01-01

20090002464

Print ink transport mechanism for selectively transporting different colored inks - A print ink transport mechanism includes a first ink pipe for transporting a first colored ink, and a second ink pipe for transporting a second colored ink, a rotary module including a first protruding component with a first cavity disposed in a position corresponding to the first ink pipe, and a drive means connected to the rotary module for driving the rotary module. When the drive means drives the rotary module to rotate to a first position, the first protruding component presses the second ink pipe, and the first ink pipe passes through the cavity on the first protruding component, so that the second ink pipe is unable to transport the second colored ink and the first ink pipe is able to transport the first colored ink.

2009-01-01

20090002465

INK STORAGE DEVICE AND AN INK CARTRIDGE OF THE SAME - An ink cartridge and an ink storage device including the same are provided, which has a stable quality, lower ink residue, less components, lower cost, and low impact to the environment. The ink storage device is assembled by an ink receiving portion, a sleeve, and a pin plug. The ink receiving portion is formed by welding and sealing the edges of a pair of plates. The sleeve has a first end portion and a respective second end portion. The first end portion is connected to the ink receiving portion and the second end portion exposes out of the ink receiving portion. An interior of the sleeve has a penetrating hole connecting the ink receiving portion. The pin plug is made of an elastic material and is installed to the second end portion of the sleeve. A storage portion for storing the ink is formed in the pin plug, and an end of the pin plug is formed as a linking hole linking the ink receiving portion with the storage portion through the penetrating hole. Another end of the pin plug is formed as with cut which is acted as a function of valve.

2009-01-01

20090002466

Ink Storage Module - Provided is an ink storage module for a printer cartridge having a number of ink storage modules. Each module operatively stores a different colored ink for delivery to a printhead of the printer. The module includes upper and lower plate members having an ink bag located between the plate members to define an ink volume, said plate members displaceable towards and away from each other. The module also includes a bag constrictor assembly engaged with said plate members and configured to act on the bag when the plate members are displaced towards each other to reduce the ink volume, as well as a valve insert having an inlet valve to facilitate refilling of the bag with ink and an outlet valve to facilitate ink delivery to the printhead. The module further has a filter cover positioned between the valve insert and the ink bag to filter contaminants and air bubbles passing between the ink bag and said valve insert.

2009-01-01

20090002467

FLUID EJECTING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - A fluid ejecting apparatus including a head having a nozzle for ejecting fluid, a storing section that stores the fluid, a pressurizing section that applies pressure to the fluid so that the fluid flows from the storing section to the head, a discharge passage through which the fluid may be discharged from the head without passing through the nozzle, a valve provided in the discharge passage, a reservoir connected to the end of the discharge passage, and a circulating passage which connected to the end of the discharge passage which is connected to the storing section. The fluid ejecting apparatus has an ejection mode where the fluid is ejected from the nozzles, a discharge mode where the fluid is discharged to the reservoir, and a circulation mode where the fluid is discharged to the storing section through the circulating passage.

2009-01-01

20090002468

Image forming apparatus and head unit - An image forming apparatus includes a head unit which has, on a bottom wall of the head unit, a jetting head having a plurality of nozzles for jetting the liquid droplets, and which jets the liquid droplets from the nozzles onto the recording medium while moving in a scanning direction; a gas inlet port which is open through a side wall, the side wall being orthogonal to the scanning direction of the head unit, and via which a gas is taken into the head unit when the head unit moves in the scanning direction; and a pair of gas discharge ports which is open through the bottom wall of the head unit, at positions on both sides in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction, to interpose the nozzles therebetween, and via which the gas, taken from the gas inlet port, is discharged toward the recording medium.

2009-01-01

20090002469

LIQUID EJECTING HEAD AND LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS - The invention relates to a liquid ejecting head that includes a liquid ejecting head body, a liquid-supply member, and a plurality of filters. The liquid-supply member has a plurality of liquid-supply passages formed inside the liquid-supply member used for communicating the liquid to the liquid ejecting head body. The liquid-supply member includes a first and second separate member which are adhered to each other so as to make up the liquid-supply member. A plurality of first and second filters are provided across the plurality of liquid-supply passages. The plurality of liquid-supply passages includes first liquid-supply passages that have the first filters on the surface of the first separate member and second liquid-supply passages that have the second filters on the surface of the second separate member.

2009-01-01

20090002470

Camera Printhead Assembly With Baffles To Retard Ink Acceleration - A printhead assembly is provided for a print-on-demand camera system. The printhead assembly includes an ink ejection printhead integrated circuit (IC). An ink distribution molding is provided to which the IC is mounted, and though which ink is distributed to the IC. A filter covers the ink distribution molding to filter ink passing to the ink distribution molding. A baffle unit is provided in which the ink distribution molding and filter is received, and includes spaced apart baffles to retard ink acceleration. A housing is provided in which the baffle unit is housed.

2009-01-01

20090002471

CHARGE SPREADING STRUCTURE FOR CHARGE-EMISSION APPARATUS - An apparatus includes a generator electrode, a discharge electrode that has an aperture, a dielectric structure between the generator electrode and the discharge electrode, and a charge spreading structure. The dielectric structure includes a charging region under the aperture. The charge spreading structure is on a surface of the charging region facing the aperture. The charge spreading structure is electrically disconnected from the generator electrode and the discharge electrode and spreads electrical charge carriers over underlying areas of the charging region.

2009-01-01

20090002472

Thermal Print Head Temperature Estimation System - A method estimates the temperature of a thermal print head element during printing. In one embodiment, the temperature is estimated using the resistance of the thermal print head element, which typically changes with the print head element temperature. The change in resistance of the print head element is exploited to indirectly estimate the temperature of the print head element.

2009-01-01

20090002473

Light-emitting device and image forming apparatus - A light-emitting device has a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in one direction, each of the plurality of pixel circuits having a light-emitting element that emits light according to the amount of driving current, a driving transistor that supplies the driving current to the light-emitting element, a holding transistor that supplies a data signal supplied via a data line to the driving transistor, and a connecting line that connects the driving transistor to the holding transistor. The holding transistor, the light-emitting element, and the driving transistor are arranged in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the plurality of pixel circuits. The light-emitting element is provided between the holding transistor and the driving transistor.

2009-01-01

20090002474

MULTI-BEAM OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A multi-beam optical scanning device which enables uniform scan line pitch and high precision image, includes a light source having plural light emitting members, a rotary polygonal mirror having a deflecting surface, a first optical system for imaging a light beam on the deflecting surface and a second optical system for imaging the light beam on a scan surface to be scanned, wherein the optical axis of the first optical system is disposed at a particular angle in a sub-scan section with respect to a plane perpendicular to the deflection axis of the deflecting surface, and wherein, with respect to the imaging magnification in the sub-scan section of the second optical system on the optical axis and between the deflecting surface and the scan surface, the imaging magnification at a scan start side is made large while the imaging magnification at the scan end side is made small or, alternatively, the imaging magnification at a scan start side is made small while the imaging magnification at the scan end side is made large.

2009-01-01

20090002475

Apparatus and System for Improving Image Quality - A system and an apparatus for improving image quality of an object in video telephony are described. The apparatus comprises an image detection unit, an image alignment unit and an image fusion unit. A near infrared light source in the image detection unit illuminates the object, such that the object is front illuminated. An image sensor alongside the near infrared light source generates a near infrared image and a visible image. An image alignment unit aligns the near infrared image and the visible image. An image fusion unit fuses the aligned near infrared image and aligned visible image pair to form a composite image of the object. The composite image of the object has improved image quality, image detail, and a reduction in shadows.

2009-01-01

20090002476

MICROPHONE ARRAY FOR A CAMERA SPEAKERPHONE - A camera speakerphone having a microphone array may be used for videoconferencing. Example microphone array designs described herein may be used to perform Sound Source Localization (SSL) and improve audio quality of captured audio. In one example, an omni-directional camera speakerphone includes a base having a speaker and at least one microphone. A neck is coupled to the base which is coupled to a head. The head includes an omni-directional camera and at least one microphone.

2009-01-01

20090002477

CAPTURE DEVICE MOVEMENT COMPENSATION FOR SPEAKER INDEXING - Embodiments of the invention compensate for the movement of a meeting capture device during a live meeting when performing speaker indexing of a recorded meeting. In one example, a first position of a capture device is determined. A second position of the capture device is determined after the capture device has been moved from the first position to the second position. The movement data associated with movement of the capture device from the first position to the second position is determined. The movement data is outputted and used in speaker indexing of the recorded meeting.

Methods and terminals that control avatars during videoconferencing and other communications - Methods and associated wireless communication terminals are disclosed that control the display of avatars on communication terminals. A person's portrait characteristics are identified in a video stream from a video source. A portrait command is selected among a plurality of portrait commands that are known to the recipient communication terminal in response to the identified person's portrait characteristics in the video stream. The selected portrait command is transmitted to a recipient communication terminal. The recipient communication terminal can then modify a displayed avatar in response to received portrait command.

2009-01-01

20090002480

Techniques for detecting a display device - Techniques to detect a display device are described. An apparatus may include a video camera operative to receive video information for an image, and a microphone operative to receive audio information for an image. The apparatus may further include a monitor detection module communicatively coupled to the video camera and the microphone, where the monitor detection module is operative to detect a temporal watermark signal displayed by the monitor within the image, and determine a location for the monitor within the image based on the detection. The apparatus may also include an active speaker detector module communicatively coupled to the monitor detection module, where the active speaker detector module is operative to exclude false positives caused by the monitor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

2009-01-01

20090002481

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEREOSCOPIC IMAGE BITSTREAM USING BLOCK INTERLEAVED METHOD - Provided are a method and apparatus for generating a stereoscopic image bitstream. The method includes dividing a base view image and an additional view image into blocks having a predetermined size, generating a combined image by combining the blocks of the base view image and the blocks of the additional view image, recording the combined image in a payload area of the stereoscopic image bitstream, and recording block combination pattern information about a pattern of arranging the blocks of the base view image and the additional view image in the combined image, in a header area of the stereoscopic image bitstream.

2009-01-01

20090002482

METHOD FOR DISPLAYING THREE-DIMENSIONAL (3D) VIDEO AND VIDEO APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A method and apparatus for displaying a three dimensional (3D) video are provided. The apparatus includes a video processor which splits a 3D video signal into a left video signal and a right video signal, and a driver which displays the split left video signal and right video signal on some lines of a display. Accordingly, the 3D video may be displayed on a general display apparatus.

2009-01-01

20090002483

Apparatus for and method of generating image, and computer program product - An apparatus includes a stereoscopic display region calculator calculating a stereoscopic display region to reproduce a three-dimensional positional relationship in image data displayed on a stereoscopic display device, based on two-dimensional or three-dimensional image data, a position of a target of regard of a virtual camera set in processing of rendering the image data, and orientations of the light beams output from the stereoscopic display device. The apparatus also includes an image processor performing image processing on image data outside a region representing the outside of the stereoscopic display region calculated by the stereoscopic display region calculator. The image processing is different from image processing on image data inside a region representing the inside of the stereoscopic display region. The apparatus also includes an image generator generating stereoscopic display image data from the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image data after processed by the image processor.

2009-01-01

20090002484

Method and Apparatus for Correcting Misalignment of a Lenticular in a 3-D Television Receiver - A projection television receiver is given 3-dimensional functionality by mounting a lenticular array of substantially vertically arranged cylindrical lenses in front of the display screen. The position of this lenticular array is critical to the performance of the 3-D functionality. In order to correct for misalignment, the lenticular array is equipped with a photo-sensor on the side facing the display. The display is then controlled to selectively energize the pixels such that the actual position of the lenticular array can be determined. The displayed image is then shifted based on the measurement such that the user will see an optimal 3-D image quality.

2009-01-01

20090002485

Image Acquisition Apparatus - This invention provides an inexpensive image acquisition apparatus capable of capturing not only an image of a still object, but also an image of a moving object with the use of an appropriate quantity of illumination light. The image acquisition apparatus includes a head section incorporating an image acquisition device therein and including a lens module and an illuminating part, a main body section including an illumination light source, an image acquisition control part and an image processing part, and a cable section connecting between the main body section and the head section. The lens module is one of a first lens module incorporating therein a lens for high-speed observation and a second lens module incorporating therein a lens for enlargement observation, which is selectively attached to the head section. In a case where the first lens module is attached to the head section, the illuminating part is a first lens illumination unit for illuminating a region of which an image is captured by the first lens module. Herein, the first lens illumination unit is attached to the head section.

Portable Vehicle Mounted Monitoring System - A portable vehicle mounted monitoring system to aide an operator of a vehicle while traveling in the rearward direction. The system includes an image receiving means capable of relaying real-time images from behind the vehicle to an image display means located inside the vehicle. The image receiving means and the image display means both contain mounting apparatuses which allows for each component of the system to be temporarily attached to the vehicle and to be removed after the intended use for the system has been completed.

2009-01-01

20090002488

Automatic alignment of a contrast enhancement system - An apparatus and method for insuring the proper alignment of a detected vein pattern and a projected vein pattern are disclosed. The apparatus enhances the visual appearance of veins so that an error that can lead to improper patient care or injury can be avoided.

2009-01-01

20090002489

EFFICIENT TRACKING MULTIPLE OBJECTS THROUGH OCCLUSION - Visual tracking of multiple objects in a crowded scene is critical for many applications include surveillance, video conference and human computer interaction. Complex interactions between objects result in partial or significant occlusions, making tracking a highly challenging problem. Presented is a novel efficient approach to tracking a varying number of objects through occlusion. The object tracking during occlusion is posed as a track-based segmentation problem in the joint-object space. Appearance models are used to interpret the foreground into multiple layer probabilistic masks in a Bayesian framework. The search for optimal segmentation solution is achieved by a greedy searching algorithm and integral image for real-time computing. Promising results on several challenging video surveillance sequences have been demonstrated.

2009-01-01

20090002490

ACOUSTIC RECOGNITION APPARATUS, ACOUSTIC RECOGNITION METHOD, AND ACOUSTIC RECOGNITION PROGRAM - An acoustic recognition apparatus determines whether or not a pre-stored target acoustic signal of a target sound subject to detection is contained in an entered input acoustic signal. The acoustic recognition apparatus includes an acoustic signal analysis part, a target sound storage part, a characteristic frequency extraction part, a calculation part, and a determination part.

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SPATIO-TEMPORAL EVENT DETECTION USING COMPOSITE DEFINITIONS FOR CAMERA SYSTEMS - A system and method for monitoring events includes defining alert events based on primitive event types in an environment monitored by monitoring devices. Alert parameters are set for each alert event, and alert events are combined to create a composite alert event based on a plurality of alert events. A plurality of engines is monitored to determine if multiple events comprising the composite alert event have occurred.

2009-01-01

20090002493

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PEST DETECTION - Systems and methods for detecting presence and movement of pests. Various embodiments of a pest detection system can be based on, for example, a beam-interrupt detector or a thermal imaging device. The beam-interrupt detection based system can provide functionalities such as counting of pests crossing a given beam. A plurality of such beams at different heights can also allow distinguishing different sized pests. The thermal imaging based detection system can provide functionalities such as tracking movement of pests. A recording can be triggered by detection of pest movement, thereby improving the efficiency of recording and reviewing information indicative of presence and movement of pests in a monitored area. Movement of pests can be monitored on a passive basis, or by providing a stimulus that induces movement.

2009-01-01

20090002494

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ARCHIVING DATA FROM A SENSOR ARRAY - Systems and methods are disclosed for archiving and processing information from an array of remote sensors. Aspects of the innovations may be incorporated, for example, into a gunshot detection and location system to preserve sensor information surrounding a gunshot event for later review or analysis. According to one implementation, an exemplary method may including sampling video signals from the sensors and storing samples in a storage device such that the video signals detected from the sensors may be selected and/or reproduced. Other exemplary implementations may include creating a searchable database wherein the video information is indexed as a function of parameters, which may include data associated with the capture of video signals such as sensor information, time of capture, etc.

2009-01-01

20090002495

Method for Monitoring Set Parameters of a Motion-Picture Camera - A method for monitoring set parameters of a motion-picture camera is provided. Film images, which are extracted from a recording beam path of the motion-picture camera and which are converted into digital assist signals by an optoelectronic transducer are arranged in an assist beam path of the motion-picture camera. Digital assist signals are output to a processing unit with an image frequency matching the image recording frequency of the motion-picture camera or with an assist image frequency, to which processing unit recording, control and/or status signals of the motion-picture camera or of devices connected to the motion-picture camera are additionally fed as metadata. The processing unit analyzes digital assist images composed of the digital assist signals and outputs digital output data and control signals to control modules of the motion-picture camera and/or to a network, and/or as analog or digital video signals to a monitor connected to the processing unit.

2009-01-01

20090002496

Device for inspecting animal cages - A device for inspecting animal cages includes a frame and a plurality of camera and scanner modules mounted to the frame. The camera and scanner modules are for signal communication connected to a central unit including a display. The camera and scanner modules are placed at the frame so that when the inspection device is placed in front of a row of animal cages a camera and scanner module is located in front of each cage in the row. The camera is arranged to capture pictures and transfer the corresponding picture information to the central unit to shown corresponding on the display. A scanner included in each module is arranged to read identifying information placed at the animal cages and to also transfer this information to the central unit.

2009-01-01

20090002497

Digital Camera Voice Over Feature - Embodiments of the invention provide a method and system for adding voice and text annotations to a digital photograph. Embodiments include recording a digital photographer's voice while capturing a digital photograph. The voice recording is saved to camera memory and mapped to the digital photograph. In addition, a voice recognition function creates a text file from the voice recording and saves it to camera memory. Embedded camera software also maps the text file to the captured digital photograph.

IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image pickup apparatus having a function of performing cut-out processing for an image for electronic image-stabilization and detecting a particular object of the image is provided. The image pickup apparatus detects a particular object from an image that has not been subjected to cut-out processing for electronic image-stabilization, adjusts position information of the detected object in accordance with a cut-out position of the image for electronic image-stabilization, and combining an indication indicating the position of the particular object with a display image based on positional information after the adjustment is performed.

2009-01-01

20090002500

DRIVE DEVICE AND IMAGE STABILIZER - A drive device includes an actuator, a fixed member, a movable member, rotating members, and a guide member. The actuator is arranged on the fixed member, and includes a piezoelectric element and at least two drivers on the piezoelectric element in parallel with the central axis of the piezoelectric element. The movable member moves by the drivers on the fixed member. The rotating members are located between the fixed member and the movable member to support the movable member. The guide member is arranged on at least one of the fixed member and the movable member, and guides movement of the rotating members in a direction parallel to the central axis of the piezoelectric element. The drivers are located between the rotating members in the direction parallel to the central axis of the piezoelectric element.

2009-01-01

20090002501

IMAGE BLUR CORRECTION USING A SECONDARY CAMERA - A device that employs a secondary camera for use in image blur correction. The device includes a first camera that acquires a digital image and a second camera that acquires a series of digital images that enable a determination of a motion of the device during acquisition of the digital image. The determined motion may be used to correct an image blur in the digital image acquired with the primary camera.

2009-01-01

20090002502

PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS - A photographing apparatus for reducing the effect of shake on an image. The photographing apparatus includes an image pickup device, an image pickup device stage supporting the image pickup device and moving the image pickup device, a driving force generating portion for driving the image pickup device stage and moving the image pickup device stage, a guide portion contacting the image pickup device stage and limiting the direction in which the image pickup device stage moves, a first elastically pressing portion elastically pressing the driving force generating portion to consistently bring the driving force generating portion into contact with the operating portion of the image pickup device stage, and a second elastically pressing portion elastically pressing the image pickup device stage to bring the image pickup device stage into contact with the guide portion.

IMAGE ACQUISITION APPARATUS, RESOLUTION ENHANCING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An image sensor acquires images with resolutions being switched. A resolution switching unit switches the resolutions of the images to be output from the image sensor. An image selecting unit selects a basic image from a plurality of output images which are output from the image sensor, having different resolutions of two or more types switched by the resolution switching unit, at least including an image having a first resolution and an image having a second resolution higher than the first resolution. An image displacement estimating unit estimates a displacement between the basic image and another image. A resolution converting unit converts the resolution of any image in the plurality of output images output from the image sensor using the image having the first resolution and the image having the second resolution acquired by the image sensor and the displacement between images obtained by the image displacement estimating unit.

2009-01-01

20090002505

Imaging Device - The generation of a false color at the periphery is prevented in an imaging device including a compound eye optical system in which parallax occurs for each color information. An imaging device that includes a plurality of lens portions, a plurality of imaging regions each including a light receiving surface that is substantially perpendicular to the optical axis direction of each of the lens portions, and outputting an imaging signal, and a parallax computing portion that uses any one of the plurality of imaging signal as a reference imaging signal (G